Cheaper by the Dozen a day with twelve children and two baths
by fanfaction lover
Summary: This is my story of Ann Gilbreth and her first dance on the island of Nantucket. I am a fan of the original cheaper by the dozen and have never seen the modern version. It is based on a true story and the lives of the Gilbreths around 1930.


The life of a family with twelve children can by trying, but for the Gilbreth family everything is taken by the horns and through hard work and a strict schedule, things usually worked out. That is usually. For there were never certainties when fourteen lives are thrown together with a dog a housekeeper and a grounds keeper.

Someone was doing something that was going to affect the other and the domino affect was an always present danger. Although the Gilbreth family were not a poor family by any means, they were not a family who could willfully waste money. Their father was very famous for his ability to coordinate things and save companies time and money and he ran the home like he did his business.

Ann was the oldest child and as such she had been given the responsibility of helping to raise the other younger children. That was fine with her, that was the way that she had been brought up. But now she was seventeen and a senior high school. She was to be headed to college the next year and she wanted to have fun.

But her father insisted on her having a chaperone. 'A chaperone and in this day and age. After all this is the twentieth century'

As the family prepared for their annual visit to Nantucket Ann and her sister Ernestine had high hopes that they would be able to spend some time alone on the beach. But they knew that they were going to have to win their father's confidence.

The problem with going to the cape was the lack of running hot water. With twelve children and the parents and their housekeeper keeping clean with just cold water from an inside pump was a job in itself. The bathroom was on the outside of the home and had to be cleaned twice a day. There was an outside toilet for the men and a separate toilet for the women. Sometimes though, in a case of emergency one or the other would use the other's.

But the ocean and the beach made the hard work of no modern conveniences worth the time. As they sat around the wood burning stove on those chilly evenings they would each sing and play the instrument that their father had insisted that they all learn to play.

Now for most members of the family that was bad news. Most of them were playing off key and the rest of them really didn't care much about learning to play an instrument. However, their father felt that it was teaching them how to show good breeding so practicing was done everyday without fail for one hour.

The summer home had no electricity so it was important for the older children to keep a keen eye on the young children and make sure that once dusk had set in that an older child went with them went they went anywhere. There was always the danger of fire when a candle is being held.

Ann and Ernestine had been allowed to walk into town alone that warm summer day. It was a rare occasion when the two sisters were allowed to be alone without any of the younger children. They just wanted to go downtown and see the sights and although their father had started to protest he had given in to their begging.

As the two girls watched the other girls in town, they knew that they were dressed very old fashioned. They were wearing the clothes that their father approved of and looked ass though they were from twenty years before. As the girls walked by some other girls their age they could see that the other girls were talking about them.

As they approached the small general store in town, they both went in. Standing at the cashier was a young man that they had known from every summer that they had been there. His name was Roy and he was Ann's age. He had bright red hair and a ton of freckles on his face, but his teeth were pearly white and he smiled at the two girls as they came into the store.

"Well Ernestine and Ann what a wonderful surprise. Every year the two of you Gilbreth girls sure get prettier and prettier " he told them as he stepped out from behind the register.

"But you too have changed so much. We are here for the summer once again and I hope that we will see each other throughout the whole summer." Ann told him.

"Oh you will. You can always stop here. I work here everyday now from eight to four. I work everyday but Sunday and Monday. I have saved up some money too. You see that old jalopy out there? That is mine. I would like to take you girls on a ride someday if you wish."

Both Ann and Ernestine smiled and told him that they would be glad to take a ride with him sometime. They were sure that their father wouldn't have any objections, the island was very small.

"Hey the town is putting on a dance for the young people on Saturday night. I would be honored if you came with me Ann."

Ann looked at him and his sister she wasn't sure if she would be allowed. "My father insists on talking to any boy that I date before we go out on a date. You could come by and talk to him if you wish. I am afraid that you would just have to come out, we don't have a phone here on the island at the house." she told him.

"That sounds good to me. When I get out of work today I will go to your home and talk to your father." he promised and with that the two girls left for home.

As Ann went into the house she went to the study where she was sure that she would find her father. There he was reading a newspaper and smoking a pipe. "Father, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Frank Gilbreth put down the paper and took one look at Anne and knew that she wanted something from him. He was not used to the way she was now acting. She was becoming a lady right in front of him. How he longed for the little girl that he had once held on his lap. "How can I help you young lady?"

"Do you remember Roy the red haired boy that lives just down the street? He says that the town is putting on a dance for the young people and he would like me to go with him. He is coming here after he gets out of work to ask your permission." she told him as she smiled her sincerest smile.

Anne's mother Lillian had come into the study and was smiling. "Roy is a nice boy. We will be delighted to meet him and talk to him when he comes." and with that she winked at her husband and gave her daughter a hug.

And so it was Roy came over and was asked the fifty questions of what his plans were. But he had done well and Anne was going to be allowed to go to the dance with him. Her father winced as he saw the old car that the boy owned, 'but the island was a small island' he reasoned to himself.

Earnestine watched as Anne smiled and started to fix her dress for the party. She could not wait until she was seventeen. That was when her father would allow her to go out on dates. She was going to be sixteen in two weeks. Next summer would be her summer for the boys.

As the two sisters worked on the dress that Anne was going to wear they enjoyed the time together. They both knew that this was going to be Anne's last year in high school and their lives were going to be changed forever.

The day of the dance was finally here. Anne was trying to get dressed and bathed for the dance, but there was only one sink and the baths were on the outside. The task of getting enough privacy and hot water to get ready was immense and finally to Anne's delight her mother sent everyone out of the kitchen. Her mother then drew the curtain so that Anne could get ready for the dance in private.

Anne's father did go with her that night, but he stayed with the adults. Anne had a very good time with Roy and they danced almost all the dances. Her dance card was full when she came in that night. She and Roy were even allowed to out and look at the stars as they stood in the gazebo.

Yes life was good and Anne and her family looked forward to many more years on the island.


End file.
